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Meet Barbara Bruno

Discovering new fitness possibilities

“Exercising is critical! If you want to feel good and not be tired, you have to move,” declares Barbara Bruno, adding, “If I can do it, anyone can.” Rather than slow her down, the fact that she has had three knee surgeries for a torn meniscus motivates her to exercise more.

A board-certified internist and cardiologist for 20 years, Barbara was the first female cardiologist in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was the leading expert in pacemaker implantation. She had been a registered nurse before returning to school and obtaining her medical degree.

In addition to creating a sense of well-being, Barbara appreciates how daily exercising gives her a sense of accomplishment and supports her independence. Her favorite exercise? “Pickleball!”

Earlier in her life, Barbara was an avid tennis player and had never heard of pickleball, but now she enjoys it more. “It’s a quicker game, and I find it more interesting. By the time we finish playing one-and-a-half to two hours, we’ve had a great workout, and it’s so much fun.” She says it has been rewarding to see how she and other players have improved through practice.

Variety keeps it interesting

In addition to playing pickleball three times a week, Barbara visits the Touchmark Health & Fitness Club daily. “I’m taking tai chi, which actually provides a lot of movement from one side to another, and that’s helpful with balance.” She also does strength training and is going to work with Touchmark’s personal trainer for a few sessions. “Getting strength training is so important to prevent falls. We lose muscle if we don’t work out regularly, and that ups your risk of falling.” She appreciates how Touchmark trainers make sure you’re doing things safely and correctly.

Barbara also has a treadmill and hand weights in her home and uses those to limber up before heading out to play pickleball. Hiking with the Touchmark Trekkers is another favorite pastime. “About a dozen of us go on these hikes, which is a comfortable number, and it’s fun being with a group of people and exploring different trails.” She appreciates how Touchmark staff scout the trails in advance and know the distances and whether they are most appropriate for beginning or intermediate hikers.

Exercising offers even more benefits

Both as a doctor and from her own personal experience, Barbara knows exercising’s benefits, and she quickly lists four:

“It’s good for your whole body, particularly for your heart and brain.”

“It’s a great stress-reducer. Sitting all the time is the worst thing you can do. Sedentary behavior can be just as risky as smoking. You must get up and move every hour.”

“It combats fatigue! If you don’t move, your body just starts to freeze.”

“You just feel better!”

Added benefits of the Full Life

“There’s never a boring moment here—and that’s a good thing!”

She’s part of a health book club, where members read books relating to nutrition, stress … anything relating to health. “We meet twice a month. The next book we’ll be reading is The Alzheimer’s Solution: A Breakthrough Program to Prevent and Reverse the Symptoms of Cognitive Decline at Every Age.

Before moving to Touchmark, Barbara and her husband were living isolated in the woods, so she especially appreciates having a sense of community. “I love being in a community, being around other people. There are so many things to do here, there’s never a dull moment. You have to pick and choose.”